Fluid treating tank for photographic developing



Dec. 22, 1953 W- G. BLANKENSHIP, JR., EFAL FLUID TREATING TANK FORPHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPIN Filed, Dec. 14, 1950 INVENTOR.

Patented Dec. 22, 1953 OFFICE FLUID TREATING TANK FOR PHOTO- GRAPHICDEVELOPING William G. Blankenship, Jr., and Graham S. McCloy,Springfield, Mass.

Application December 14, 1950, Serial No. 200,832

2 Claims.

Our invention relates to new and useful improvements in apparatus forprocessing photographic materials and is directed more particularly tothe provision of apparatus for treating photographic materials withsolutions.

The principal objects of the invention are directed to the provision ofapparatus for treating a plurality of sheets or plates of photographicmaterial with solutions.

While in this description of the invention, reference is made to thefixing of sheets in a hypo bath, the apparatus is not to be understoodas limited in its use thereto.

it is common practice to fix developed paper prints, sheet film, and thelike in a hypo bath in a tray. In an attempt to obtain the properfixation the tray is rocked, the prints or sheets are constantlyagitated, and the lowermost sheets are successively removed to the topof the bath or stack, all of which requires constant manipulation by theoperator.

Too, the prints and sheets adhere to one another which prevents theproper contact of the surfaces thereof with the hypo solution whereforthe manipulation referred to consumes considerably more fixing time thanwould be the case were the surfaces of the prints or sheets in contactwith the hypo solution at all times.

According to this invention the apparatus is constructed and arranged sothat the prints or sheets are caused to continuously circulate aroundand through the hypo in a tank. We have found, due to the novelarrangement of the apparatus, that the prints are spaced apartvertically in different planes during the entire fixing time. That is,as the prints move around the tank in and through the hypo solution,they arrange themselves in layers so that upper prints are spaced abovelower ones whereby the prints do not adhere to one another and theirsurfaces are in contact with the solution.

The apparatus is such that manual manipulation of the prints isunnecessary and, because the prints are spaced apart vertically in theliquid, the fixing time is greatly reduced over that of the method abovereferred to.

One of the primary purposes of the invention is to provide structuraland operational improvements in devices of the class to which referencehas been made, which improvements not only simplify the structure assuch but also provide important distinct advantages in durability andthe like.

With the above primary objects in view, it is another object of ourinvention to provide a construction of theabove described characterwhich 2 is simple and compact in accordance with the desires and demandsof purchasers and which is not only distinctive in its appearance andpractical in its value but also reliable in its operation and efficientin its use.

Other objects of our invention include: first, the securement of agreater degree of accuracy in the manner of work performed therewiththan has heretofore been possible with prior devices known in the art;second, the provision of a construction which may be readily installedwith respect to the various purposes for which it is intended, andthird, the provision of such other improvements in and relating toapparatus for processing photographic materials of the type abovereferred to as are hereinafter described and claimed.

All of the above objects we accomplish by means of such structure andrelative arrangements of parts thereof, as will fully appear by aperusal of the description below and by various specific features whichwill be hereinafter set forth.

To the above cited and other ends and with the foregoing and variousother novel features and advantages and other objects of our inventionas will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, ourinvention consists in certain novel features of construction and in thecombination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter moreparticularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed and more fullyde scribed and referred to in connection with the accompanying drawingswherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of sheet processing apparatus embodying the novelfeatures of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 witha portion of the tank broken away;

Fig. 3 is a sectional of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional elevational view through the directorcasing with the propeller mechanism associated therewith.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, the invention will befully described.

A tank is represented by 2 which has a wall 4 and a peripheral side wall6.

The tank and parts coming in contact with the hypo solution will beformed from such materials as will resist the action of the solution.Certain types of stainless steel may be used in the practise of theinvention.

Upper and lower straps as 12 which are secured plan view on the line 3-3bottom 8 and 10 have lugs such to the wall 6 of the The motor 22 may beof any desired form but in the embodiment of the invention shown; it hascars 24 to which supporting members itia're' secured and these in turnare secured to the casing i l.

A shaft 26 of the motor 22 is connecte'd'by are: silient coupling 28 tothe verticalshafttll; As the motor is energized, the shaft is rotatedthereby.

Lower andupper bladed propellers 30 and 32 are"fixed'totheshaft 20inspaced relation so as tbjbe rotated'thereby, Said'prop'ellers may haveblades or any desired form;

Inlets 3e are providedat' the lower end of the casing and an outlet 36isprovided in a side thereof. Said outlet 36 will'preferably be in the wform'o'f an'elongatedslot, as shown.

An' upper transverse wall 40 is disposed within the'casing above thepropeller 32 and is held in place by ears 42 secured to' the casing.There may be'a space 'infthe wall around the shaft or if desiredsuitablejournal means for the shaft may be" associated with said Wall.

Kbafiie' or defiec'tor' l i preferably formed in an arc of acircleflextends from the members 8' and l ll'toone side of thet'ank wall6, as shown. The deflector extends upwardly from the bottomwall 4 t'otheupperedge'of the tank or to a point adjacent'thereto,

The straps'8 and llarefso formed that in conjunction to say, the casingl4 may be inserted in and renioyedfronfthe receiver as may be desiredwhile thec'asing'may beadjust'ed angularly in said rev f i.

Withthepropeller'mechanism in the receiving and with the hypo solutionin the tank, themotor operated to" rotate shaftizli in the direction ofthe arrow shown.

} As the shaft 201 rotates propellers 30 and 32, the solution is drawln' into the casing by lower propeller 30. The blades of thepropellers are of different or opposite pitch or angles, as shown inFig. 4. The solution entering inlets 3d tends to move upwardly in thecasing [4 but wall til, closing-theupper endof the casing, and the upperpropeller 3'2- resists upward movement; of the liquid so as to tend toforce it downwardly whereby the propellersoperating in opposition toeachother discharge the solution through outlet 36.

The solution ente'ring the" casing and being discharged, it-=assumesqaswirling motion about the tank and carries" film; sheets or printstherea-round and these are directed past the casing by member 44. j

The casing is" may be turned in the receiver to locate the dischargeoutlet 36 as may be desired to vary' the swirling or circulatorymovement of m so1uaon. l H

With a multiplicity of prints or sheets in the solution being carriedaround thetank thereby they assume separated relationship. That is theprints disposed horizontally move. in vertically,

spaced planes so that there is sufficient solution I with the side wallof the'tank they form a a receiver for the propeller mechanism. That ispended ing're'strictive, the scope of the invention being indicatedbythe appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and allmodifications and variations as fall within the meaning and purview andrange of equivalency of the apclaims are-therefore intended to beembraced therein.

What itis desired to claim and secure'by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. Apparatus for processing a plurality of flat sheets of photographicmaterial in processing liquid comprising-incombination, a circular tankhaving a horizontal bottom wall anda circular peripheral wall extendingvertically upwardly therefrom, an elongated tubular shell having animperforateside wall and a lower enddisposed adjacent said bcttomwalland extending therefrom vertically upwardly and closely adjacent aninner side of said peripheral wall at oneside of said tank andterminating adjacent the upper edge of said wall, said shell providedwith inlet lower rotatable liquid propelling means in said shell fordischarging liquid out said outlet and circulating the same around saidtank, and an elongated sheet-like baflie having its transverse widthdisposed vertically and a forward vertical end secured to said shell anda rear'vertical end secured to said peripheral wall, said baffle beingbowed outwardly intermediate its forward and rear ends towards saidperipheral wall ofthe tank and having its forward end disposed inwardlyof the inner longitudinal edge of said-discharge outlet and extendingfrom said-shell to said wall ina direction opposite to said onedirecion.

2. Apparatus for processing a pluralityof flat sheets of photographicmaterial in processing liquid comprising incombination, a circular tankhaving a horizontal bottom wall and a circular peripheral wall extendingvertically upwardly therefrom, an elongated tubular shell having animperforate side wall and a lower end disposed on said bottom wall andextending therefrom: vertically upwardly and closely adjacent an innerside of said peripheral wall at one side of said tank and terminating atits upper and adjacent the upper edge of said wall, said shell providedwith inlet meansthereinto closely adjacent said lower wall and anelongated relatively narrow vertically disposed dischargef outlet in; a

side thereof and having opposite ends terminating upwardly anddownwardly from said bottom wall and inlet and the upper edge of saidperipheral wall, said discharge outlet of the shell disposed adjacentand spaced from an adjacent portion of said peripheral wall and isdirected in one direction and toward said peripheral wall at a pointforwardly thereof, rotatable liquid propelling means in said shell fordischarging liquid out said outlet and circulating the same around saidtank, and an elongated sheet-like baflle having its transverse widthdisposed vertically and a forward vertical end secured to said shell anda rear vertical end secured to said peripheral wall, said baflle beingbowed outwardly intermediate its forward and rear ends towards saidperipheral wall and having its forward end disposed inwardly of theinner longitudinal edge of said outlet and extending from said shell tosaid wall in a direction opposite to said one direction, said liquidpropelling means including vertically spaced simultaneously rotatablepropellers disposed above and below and adjacent upper and 6 lower endsof said discharge outlet having radially extending blades arranged onrotation thereof to propel liquid downwardly and upwardly to and throughsaid outlet.

WILLIAM G. BLANKENSHIP, JR. GRAHAM S. MCCLOY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 871,906 Avery et a1 Nov. 26, 1907 1,439,328 Ramsey Dec. 19,1922 1,755,341 Stanley Apr. 22, 1930 ,832,297 Greene Nov. 17, 19312,286,351 Drucker June 16, 1942 2,327,733 Moore Aug. 24, 1943 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 261,341 Germany June 19, 1913 180,980Switzerland Feb. 1, 1936 245,703 Switzerland Oct. 16, 1947

